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LXsongbird

LXsongbird

Spaghetti Master
A fiery storm swept across the world 127 years ago, leaving Earth a barren, dried-up wasteland. The descendants of the survivors of the storm live beneath Earth’s surface in a latticework of cities and tunnels that snake throughout the whole world. The reduced population of 2.5 million people has been living in relative peace for the last 127 years. But the tunneling rabbits, underground vegetables, and all other food has been running out due to over-harvesting and overhunting. All of a sudden, food shortages are everywhere, and subterranean rivers and lakes have been drying up. You are one of the few who have chosen to venture beyond your home to try to find a better place to live. However, you have never been to the upper world beyond the place where you grew up and the journey is beginning to look difficult. Some may turn back, and return to a life of poverty and starvation. The dangers of the journey overwhelm many. But the rewards: there have been rumors about a place, a lush green valley where everything is perfect and there is enough food and water for lifetimes upon lifetimes of civilizations. The few who are brave enough to try to find this paradise must travel to the farthest reaches of the earth, at much peril to their own lives.


character sheets here


((will start when enough people join :D )) 
Aece woke up in a small alleyway, beneath a tall, dark building in the middle of Ground Adabi ((a city in the world beneath the surface of Earth)). The fluorescent streetlight above her bed had just flickered on, signaling the beginning of the sunless day. Stretching and rolling over, Aece looked around her. The tiles on the floor had cracks of dirt snaking between them, and the earthen walls were covered with faded blue curtains. Obviously, no windows lit up this underground hobbit-hole of a house. Aece walked to her splintery desk and stared at the only thing on the wooden surface: a half-sheet of paper that stated:

SEARCH FOR PARADISE

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Congratulations! By taking this note, you have signed up for a mission to venture to the upper earth, in search of a heavenly place with food and water for lifetimes upon lifetimes and generations upon generations of future people. You will meet at the Center Square of Ground Adabifor your journey to the upper earth on December 31, 12:00 noon. There, you will meet the others who have also signed up for this mission. Thank you for choosing to lead mankind in this revolutionary expedition. HOURS UNTIL START OF JOURNEY: 3:59:46

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The paper had a microchip embedded in it that made the 3:59:46 tick off the seconds, minutes, and hours until the search for paradise. Well, today's the day, Aece thought, as she gathered her things and hurried down out of the alleyway and down the street that led to the Center Square.

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Lets hope I survive...

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Upon waking up, Jordan felt disoriented and felt like going back to sleep. He wanted to be able to pull the covers over his head, but the bright lights had already taken him out of his sleep. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a folded piece of paper. He reached for it began to read.


Congratulations! By taking this note, you have signed up for a mission...(you get the rest)


What the heck? Where did this even come from? he thought. The opportunity to be able to go above ground seemed like a dream come true, but there was also the fact that he might not make it back home. Jordan might end up dying out on the wasteland, forgotten to those who knew him. Still, it wasn't like he was living for anything. His life was the same tedious task of waking up, going to school, coming back home and sleeping. If this journey was successful, then life would be so awesome.


Jordan got out of bed and pulled on some jeans and a t shirt. He quickly ate some breakfast and headed out to the Center Square, not knowing what to expect next.
 
As Aece walked down the street, she heard sounds of the subterranean city waking up. She looked down at the paper in her hands: 2 hours, 20 minutes, and 27 seconds until departure. Ahead, she saw a sign that said, "Center Road", the road that led to the Center Square. As people began to walk out of their houses, Aece merged back into the shadows so as not to be seen. She approached Center Road and turned left onto it, hoping to find food. Her nose brought her slightly off the path, into an alley similar to the one she was sleeping in. On the second story of a tall apartment building, there was a middle-aged woman eating bacon and eggs at a table on a dirty, rusty balcony. Aece scaled up a trellis and nimbly swiped the plate off the table and dropped to the floor, racing back to Center Road with a woman's shouts behind her and hot food in her hands.
 
Clementine had been working on a cramp in her leg since the early morning, waking up from the uncomfortable feeling. Taking off the false skin was difficult and time-consuming itself, but fixing loose screws and replacing gears and wires was a breeze for her. After examining her bare foot, she decided that she did what she could and should probably get moving. Clem reached over to her desk, snagging the paper up to look at the time. Realizing she didn't have much time to put herself back together, she shoved on her boots and packed her pieces along with her other things before bolting out of the door. She walked fast, making her way to the Center Square as quickly as she could.
 
Cian was already waiting at the square with plenty of time remaining. He had his bow and arrows strapped to his back, along with his satchel packed with everything her needed. Hanging from his hip was his mother's iron broadsword, it's hilt gleaming in the dim light. And, tucked neatly away in his boot, was his knife, ready for use. He wore basic clothing, a black coat, with plain pants and a basic white t-shirt. His pointed ears peered out from his dark hair, one of them gleaming with a silver piercing. At first glance, most flinched away from him, but, in reality, he was rather gentle and kind, but held up a silent, strong exterior for appearance purposes. He was his father's son after all.
 
Aece heard a girl on the other sidewalk also rushing toward the Center Square. When she reached the Center Square, Aece saw a guy with a bow and quiver on his back, who looked ready for anything. his sword hung from his hip, and he looked almost majestic in the almost-midday light. The girl who had been walking alongside Center Road was also there. Aece approached the waiting man and asked, "Hey... why are you here?" Normally, the only reason people came to Center Square was to eat dinner. At nighttime, the square was brightly and colorfully lit. But in the day time, no one bothered with the dull, dusty square.
 
Quietly, Cian looked up as the two girls approached, not once changing his unreadable expression. His gaze moved over the two of them, quickly taking in their gear and whatever else they held. He assumed these two would also be joining in on this journey to the world above them, and he trusted that they were prepared, for both good and bad. "What are you doing here?" He arched a brow at the girls questions, eyes lifting to meet hers, his head tilting slightly to the side. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke, his voice calm and deep, almost musical, "I'm here for the same reason you are, I assume." To prove his point, he pulled the letter from out of his pocket, holding it up for the girl to see, but keeping it out of her reach. "Am I correct?"


((Is my character the only guy? x.x))
 
(( I'm sure there are at least two more. ))


Clem nearly tripped on her almost-bare foot as she approached the Center Square, now noticing the other two who had arrived. Luckily, they seemed a bit preoccupied with each other to notice her slip-up, so she proceeded normally while scanning the two strangers. The male silent and strong, and the female smaller but confident. She could already safely assume that they were part of the expedition as well, so she wouldn't be standing awkwardly at the Center. Although, would it be awkward if she just stood there? Man, was she nervous. So many questions were running through her head at once that she didn't notice she had stopped at her destination until she caught on to the other two's conversation.
 
"Y-yes," Aece pulled her letter out of her sleeve and showed it to the guy. Then she noticed another girl walking toward them and said, "Did you get the letter too? ...'Cause it's almost time to go..." The roads connecting to the Center Square were empty as usual during the day, but the church bell at the front of the square began to chime twelve times. It was noon. A fanfare of soldiers and knights suddenly appeared walking down Center Road, and their uniforms looked completely un-dusty. A first for anything or anyone that lived under the upper earth. When they reached the square, Aece tensed slightly and looked for possible ways to escape. None presented themselves to her, so she stood and nervously waited while the guards announced, "THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE SEARCH FOR PARADISE. THANK YOU FOR GENEROUSLY OFFERING YOUR LIVES TO AID THIS ENORMOUS LEAP FOR MANKIND."
 
Kain had been sleeping at the church doorsteps with his messy brown hair falling on his hair and his back leaned against a white pillar. He had gone there just because Elise had wanted him to, however, she was not really that exited about the expedition. If not because she had convinced him to give it a try or she would leave alone he would still be sleeping on his bed, comfortably and peacefully. He didn't even flinch when the bell began to chime, not opening his eyes even once or shifting in confusion.


Elise's ears assumed a straight-up orientation when she heard the bell chime and even more when she saw the soldiers walking down the Center road. She had her's and Kain's paper on her pocket and looked back at him with excitement when she heard them announcing their mission. She pouted though, when she saw he was still sleeping and she just shook him a little "It's time, Kain. Let's go" She whispered at him as her tail swished from side to side. Kain didn't open his eyes, nevertheless, he took her by the hand "Let's wait here until they get moving" He said in a low voice, he would rather prefer not to catch the attention by rushing to the center where he had already felt, some people where already standing.
 
Spade was on the street gambling with older people. "So.. who wants to start betting? I am unbeatable so you can win a lot of money if you can beat me." Spade laughed in an evil way. Showing the grown men where the Ace card was, she had put it down with another 3 card. She started mixing the cards and secretly changing them. "So, which one is the ace?" Spade smirked. The guy pointed on the last one. "Easy, I don't know how people think you-" Getting cut off, Spade flipped it over, it was the 4 or diamonds. "I can't believe I lost to a little girl." The guy walked away in shock. "Try a little harder" She laughed and continued to gamble.
 
After a while, Jordan finally got to the Center Square. He realized that he was a little late, so he decided to stand with the few people already there. Trying to blend in, he hoped that no one realized that he hadn't been there earlier. But the place was pretty empty, so it was pointless to even try.
 
Aece looked around again when the soldiers began a sort of wizardry at the center of the square, seemingly opening a portal. She noticed a guy and an enthusiastic girl blending into the shadows, another guy just arriving at the Center Square, and a small group of people who looked like they were gambling. She told the other two she was going to check out the widening portal, when all of a sudden there was a bright flash and Aece felt her head spin. Then, just before she closed her eyes, Aece saw herself on a barren, rocky hill with the two people she just met and others.
 
Cyan awoke abruptly from his deep slumber as the city bells chimed loudly. Scratching his ruffled brown hair, the young half-elf gazed around his surroundings still groggy from sleep. His vision was slightly blurred and his body remained half asleep: his arms and legs still practically numb. "Maybe sleeping on the rooftop was such a great idea," He mumbled to himself in a low husky voice. Cyan shakily stood to his feet, throwing his arms up and letting out a loud yawn. Fortunately for him, it was masked by the high pitched chime of the city bells.


As the bells continued to chime, Cyan cast a weary gaze over the edge of the rooftop; luckily, he picked this spot the night before and didn't have to travel at all today. Not that he was particularly excited to sacrifice himself for the sake of the world, but he had his own reasons for wanting to explore the surface world. Unlike the night before, Cyan noticed that the Center Square was being occupied by a group of strange people. He grabbed his bag from the ground which held his supplies: a spare set of clothes, energy bars, a pouch that carried water, and some bandages along with some medicine. He swung the bag over his right shoulder and jumped from the three story building with ease. As he hurdled down towards the ground, he braced himself for for impact. And before he knew he performed the duck n' roll technique allowing him to avoid injury.


He rolled easily into a stand, but hesitated to give himself time to steady himself before running off to join the group of people. The half-elf was sure that these people were going to the upper world, especially because one of them was holding a letter similar to the one he'd received only a day before. "Sorry I'm late you guys, I overslept." Cyan gazed at the odd group of people that had assembled and smiled, but the elf specifically caught his attention. "Never thought I'd see such an odd group gathered together," he giggled in excitement.
 
Clementine had watched as more people arrived, including the warrior-like guards. She would have said something to the others, but was warped through a portal before she could even think of what to say. Within seconds Clem and the others were standing on a barren wasteland, a bright light shining brightly in the sky, almost blinding her.


What the...? she thought. Don't tell me that's... the sun?


She couldn't believe it-- she was standing on the surface!
 
A bright, yellow light shone above, making Jordan have to shield his eyes. "Is that the friggin' sun?" Looking down, he saw that he was standing above ground, out of the hellhole he had grown up in. "Why is it so hot here?" he asked.


Jordan looked over at the others, and realized that these were the people that he was going to be with for god knows how long.
 
Cian turned his attention towards the soldiers as they approached the group, his eyes calm and steady. Others joined them, loaded with supplies and other materials, bags on their backs. These were the people he would be travelling with. His gaze swept over each person, a slight smile twitching across his lips as he spotted the half-elf, his eyes glinting. He hadn't seen too many elves here, so it was always nice to find another of his kind, even if he was just half elf. An elf was an elf.


He opened his mouth to introduce himself, but never got the chance to speak, for the portal arrived first. He let out a surprised gasp as it sucked him inward, dropping him down on rocky ground. Cian landed lightly on his feet, flinching away from the golden light and shading his eyes. The others seemed to look up at the glowing ball, which Cian was quick to correct, although not rudely. "Don't look at the sun," he said, tone calm and collected, "You'll blind yourself."
 
Spade looked at her watch. "Time for work.... darn." Spade facepalmed her head. She bounced to the cafe and changed quickly. Her ears were flopping and her bunny tail was poofy. She walked around and served food to customers. Jumping around and she tripped falling down. She sat up and her eyes got teary. "Owww.. that hurt." She wiped her eyes and actually got more customers to come in. Her plan actually worked. But She disappeared not know where she was. "Ughh... What now...."
 
"Ughh..." Aece mumbled, opening her eyes, only to quickly shut them to avoid being blinded by the bright light. "The sun?" She remembered legends and ancient tales of how the sun was brought to earth, and why it moved around the world. Of course, underground they had no meaning. But up here, she tried to remember why the sun moved. Then she took a second to look around her. The landscape no longer had the feeling of being hemmed in and trapped, it was spread out, and no buildings could be seen. Far off in the distance, there was an expanse of bluish-silver that reflected the bright sunlight that hadn't been seen by mankind for almost two centuries. "This is the upper earth..." Aece couldn't even think about looking for paradise now, she was sure she'd found it. With the lake in the distance (she had no way of knowing it was saltwater) and the rocky hill around her, this place was unlike any she had ever seen before. "Soo... are we here forever, or what?"
 
Elise had been blinded by the portal's light and now had her ears folded against her head and her tail wrapped around her waist. She felt disoriented and soon was surprised to find herself standing in a place completely different from before and with some of the people she had seen had arrived to the Center Square a few moments ago. She felt a strange source of warmness above her and heard too late Cian's warning, for she had looked up curiously, wincing a little as she felt the burning feeling on her eyes that forced her to shut them down and lower her head as she let out a small hiss from her lips.


Kain had been more intelligent, though, he had calmly took the fact that he had just been sent to another place. He had not been curious enough to look up, he already knew what would the sun do to his eyes if he looked up so carelessly. He, nevertheless, held Elise near when he heard her hiss, calming her down "Just maintain them closed for a second" He whispered on her ear and then looked around at the group. So.. Those were gonna be their 'companions' for quite a while, huh?
 
Jordan looked away from the sun, seeing spots in his vision. "Is the sun always that bright?"


"So, how about we get to know each other a little?" Jordan asked. If he was going to be roaming around the surface with these guys, then they couldn't be all awkward around each other. "I'm Jordan. Nice to meet you all."


The wasteland stretched out in all four directions, leaving them in the middle of nowhere. "Where are we supposed to go? We can't just stand here forever."
 
"Aece here, hey Jordan. That's true; we should try to find water. Or shelter." Or food, or a fire, or paradise, Aece added in her mind. She stood up and spoke again, "Any of you guys can zap some water here? 'Cause that lake looks pretty far away... Oh, by the way, I'm half fox spirit, and I can use the weather... But not if there're no clouds at all. I could try to bring some from far away to make it rain, but... That would take a long time and there probably aren't rainclouds anywhere else if what they tell us about this drought is true." Aece sighed and stretched. "Anyone wanna start walking? Jordan's right, we can't stand here forever."
 
Clementine covered her eyes with her work goggles looking around at the rest of the area. Barren, rocky, and completely uncivilized. It was so different from what she was used to...


How will they be able to find this supposed oasis?


"I'm Clementine." she answered, turning to face Jordan. "Maybe... Maybe we should call a vote? You know, on which direction to take?"
 
Aece turned to the girl with goggles and said, not noticing that the girl was addressing Jordan, "That's a good idea. Anyone have a watch, know what time it is?" Having never seen the sun, there was no way Aece could gage the time of day from the position of the sun. "Or... how much time we have until dark?" She didn't know if it got dark here at the same time the underground fluorescent lights went out.
 
Without saying a word, Cian quickly glanced at the sky, judging the time by the position the sun lay. A trick he had learned from reading his books, something that they used to do. He let his finger run up the horizon, landing on the glowing ball of light, his spare hand shading his eyes. "Slightly past noon," he replied smoothly, glancing over to the girl who had asked, "We have approximately seven to eight hours until dark. Maybe less." His gaze flickered from person to person, face expressionless, but not harsh. "I'm Cian, by the way."
 
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